Names and faces
■ An Atlanta rapper’s take on country music has inspired a mostly nonverbal autistic boy in Minnesota to sing. Lil Nas X has found huge success with the song, “Old Town Road.” It has sparked controversy, spawned a clothing line, made the rapper a household name and got his collaborator Billy Ray Cyrus a Maserati. Now, it’s being credited for doing a lot more. Cottage Grove, Minn., mother Sheletta Brundidge tweeted Tuesday about her family’s “#oldtownroad miracle,” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. She filmed her 4-year-old son, Daniel, humming the tune and then singing the lyrics. Now, she says therapists are using the music in his sessions. Cyrus retweeted the video and Lil Nas X, whose real name is Montero Lamar Hill, tweeted “What a King” in response to the clip. “Old Town Road” gained national attention in March when Billboard removed it from the Hot Country Songs chart, declaring it not country enough. Cyrus agreed to perform on a remix of the song, which has now spent nine weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart.
■ Chris Pratt says he and Katherine Schwarzenegger were married over the weekend. He announced the nuptials Sunday in an Instagram post accompanied by a photo of the couple walking hand-in-hand. He says they were married Saturday in a ceremony that was “intimate, moving and emotional.” Pratt is perhaps best known for his roles in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies and the TV show Parks and Recreation. Schwarzenegger is the daughter of actor and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and journalist Maria Shriver. The pair began dating last summer.
■ Funk-soul band Kool & The Gang is being honored with an award named for pioneering opera singer Marian Anderson. Kool & The Gang, known for hits like “Get Down on It,” ”Celebration” and “Ladies Night,” has earned two Grammy Awards and seven American Music Awards. The Marian Anderson Award is given in Philadelphia to “critically acclaimed artists who have impacted society in a positive way.” Band members say in a statement they’re “truly honored” to receive the award and that the city they call “Funky Philly” played an integral part in their career. The award will be presented at a gala in November. Anderson was the first black singer to perform at the Metropolitan Opera.